More Than Meets the Eye
by PhantomHeartless5
Summary: Aqua thought she knew all there was to know about Vanitas. But as this fanfic describes, she knows less than she thinks. Vanitas and Aqua friendship. VanitasX? Rated T for language.
1. Chapter 1: Out of the Norm

**This is just a short Vanitas and Aqua story that I wanted to write. It's an AU story that takes place after Birth by Sleep. Please read, review, and enjoy.**

**Warning: Vanitas may be a bit OOC.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**More Than Meets the Eye**

Aqua thought she knew everything there was to know about her friends. Aqua was a Keyblade Master under the tutalege of Master Eraqus along with her friends Terra and Ventus (Affectionately called Ven for short). She considered Master Eraqus to be the closest thing to a father she ever had. He was stern at times, but kind and caring as well. He loved his students like they were his own children. Were it not for his teachings, Aqua would never be the Master she is today. To her, Master Eraqus and the boys were family.

Terra was the older brother she never had. His name was latin for earth, a fitting name indeed. He was strong, stoic, and a great shoulder to cry on. Underneath the calm exterior beat a heart that would fight for his friends no matter the cost. Ventus was the little brother she always wanted. He was happy, energetic, kind, and a bit michevious at times. Ever since the Unversed crisis, The trio's bond seemed to have increased. And as hard as it was to admit it, Ventus seemed to have matured greatly. Of course, there was her new friend Mickey Mouse. Mickey was a keyblade wielder under the tutalege of Master Yen Sid. Aqua first met Mickey when they had to protect a young Kairi from the Unversed. Ever since then, he became a valuable ally and a close friend. Sometimes he would come to the Land of Departure to visit.

However, there was one person she wished she never met: Vanitas. Vanitas was the sole apprentice of Master Xehanort, and the darkness of Ventus' heart given human form. Vanitas was created by Master Xehanort for the sole purpose of fusing with Ventus to forge the all-powerful _x_-blade and restarting the legendary Keyblade War. Master Xehanort also wanted Terra's body to see his plan through to the end. Vanitas had the ability to create monsters known as Unversed from his negative emotions and the emotions of those around him. He used them to further Master Xehanort's goals, and serve his own desire to cause misery for others.

The trio, with Mickey's help, managed to defeat Xehanort and thwart his mad goals. Ventus and Vanitas both survived the _x_-blade's destruction. Terra and Aqua were ready to leave Vanitas to his fate, claiming he deserved it. But Ventus' empathic personality wouldn't allow it. He offered to take Vanitas back to the Land of Departure in hopes of reforming him. After all, Vanitas was Ventus' darkness so he was Ventus' responsiblity. Though Aqua and Terra were opposed to it at first, they learned long ago that trying to change Ventus' mind was an exercise in futility. Master Eraqus allowed it under two conditions: Vanitas was forbidden to summon Unversed, and he had to reabsorb all the Unversed that were still running amok. Vanitas also had to be respectful to him and the others.

Though Aqua had to admit that Vanitas had improved a lot since he started living with them, that didn't mean he was the best company. Aqua sometimes found it hard to believe that he and Ventus were once the same person. If she were to make a list of undesirable personality traits, Vanitas would most likely fall under every category. Having a personality seemingly consisting of every negative emotion in the english dictonary, he fit the description of "complete jerk" quite well. He was respectful towards Master Eraqus, slightly less respectful towards Terra, and treated Ventus with some kindness (though he was still hostile towards him).

But when it came to him and Aqua, Vanitas would take advantage of every opportunity to antagonize, annoy, irritate, and provoke Aqua. He always had an insult ready for her, along with his dry and usually venomous sense of humor. Some days she could power through and tolerate his attitude. Other days, it took all of her will power to resist succumbing to the delightful urge of casting a Mega Flare spell on him.

Aqua was in the kitchen drinking jasmine green tea, an early morning ritual for her. But her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of footsteps. That's when she saw Vanitas walking into the kitchen. The raven haired youth grabbed a cup of coffee and sat down across from Aqua. This was a bit... different to say the least. Vanitas was a very heavy sleeper, even moreso than Ventus. Being a girl of ettiqute and thinking that it couldn't hurt to try, Aqua decided to break the silence. "Good Morning, Vanitas." Aqua said in a pleasant tone.

"Morning, Aqua." came the reply.

Now_ this_ was startling. Vanitas rarely called Aqua by name. Usually it was "Princess" or "Teacher's Pet". "Never thought I'd see you up this early." she said.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you in private." Vanitas said. "Can I ask you something?"

This was starting to get a bit strange for Aqua. She couldn't help but notice something was off about Vanitas. He'd never act this way towards her. His tone didn't carry the usual mocking timbre. It was more subdued, more conversational. In fact, his overall demeanor was completely out of the norm. Unsure what to expect, Aqua nodded in compliance.

Vanitas began to twiddle his thumbs and lowered his head to avoid eye contact with Aqua. It was obvious that something was bothering him. Sensing his hesitation, Aqua said in an assuring tone, "Just come out and say it."

After a few more moments, Vanitas finally relented, uttering a small sigh. "Could you show me how to make one of those... wayfinders?"

Upon hearing that question, Aqua literally spat her tea. She _must_ have misheard him. There was no way Vanitas would ask her to make a wayfinder. Beating her chest and coughing, Aqua asked, "Could you repeat that?"

Vanitas uttered an irritated sigh as he grasped the bridges of his nose. "How. Do you make. A _wayfinder_." he repeated with a slightly irate tone.

Aqua stared at the boy, blinking a few times. "You're _serious_?"

"Would I bother asking you if I wasn't?" came the rebuttal question.

Aqua simply stared at Vanitas, sapphire eyes wide with shock as her mind tried to process the entire scene and failed. It was as if the universe turned on its head overnight. This must be a dream. This was Vanitas, Mr. Antisocial, wanting to make a wayfinder. If she was a computer, then this would be an equation that could and would never compute.

Vanitas, on the other hand, was growing more frustrated at Aqua's hesitation. All he did was ask a simple question and she's staring at him like an idiot. Vanitas leaned over and snapped his fingers in Aqua's face. "Are you gonna show me how to make a wayfinder or not?"

"_Sorry_. I just didn't expect you to be intrested in a wayfinder." Aqua said.

"Well I had a change of heart, okay? So are you gonna show me how to make a wayfinder or did I just drag myself out of bed for nothing?"

"Well, okay." Aqua said. Aqua then went to her room and retrieved her wayfinder kit. The two then spent the next two hours making wayfinders. When they were done, they had made two wayfinders, one red and one green. She was quite surprised at how fast Vanitas learned the process. "So, what's the occasion?"

"Hmm?" he grunted.

"Why the sudden intrests in wayfinders?" she asked.

"The details aren't up for the discussion." he said as he rose from his seat.

"Hmph, figured as much."

"Thanks for the help." Vanitas said as he walked out of the kitchen. As he neared the door, Ventus walked past him. "Hey, Vanitas." he said in his usual upbeat tone.

"Hey, Ven." he replied.

The greeting from Vanitas made Ven stop in his tracks. He then turned to face Vanitas and pinched himself. Vanitas would never call Ventus by his nickname. He always called him by his full name. "Did you just call me _Ven_?"

"What, you changed your name last night?" Vanitas asked as he walked upstairs. Once he was gone, Ven turned to an equally astonished Aqua and asked, "What the heck just happened?"

"Let's wait until Terra gets here." Aqua said. "This is a story I think you'll both want to hear."

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><p><strong>First chapter down. 2nd will be up soon.<strong>


	2. Chapter 2: Guy Talk

**Sorry for the delay. I've been taking Drivers Ed. Here's the second chapter. I hope you enjoy it. Please read, review, and enjoy.**

"One, two, one, two, one, two, one, two." Terra chanted as he performed his hand stands. Terra was always thought to be odd when it came to spending the day off. Ventus would either watch TV or play outside. Aqua would either meditate or go in the library. Vanitas would just sleep the day away. But Terra would spend the day in his room working out, either lifting weights or doing hand stands. Some might think of this as overachieving, but Terra prefered to think of this as a preemptive strike. After all, one never knows when the Master would pull a surprise training drill on them.

Terra's training regiment was soon interrupted by a knock at the door. Jumping off of his hands and popping a few bones in his neck, Terra looked through the peephole to see Vanitas at the door. Terra and Vanitas... weren't exactly friends. It was more of a mutual respect. They rarely talked to each other outside of training. Terra sometimes wondered if Vanitas remembered that he existed. Though he initially wanted to tell Vanitas to buzz off for interrupting his exercise, he decided to be nice, at least for Ven's sake. With his decision made, Terra opened the door. "Hey."

"Hey, Terra." came the reply.

"So, you finally know my name huh?" Terra said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Ha, ha." Vanitas deadpanned, not sharing Terra's humor. "I always knew your name, but that's besides the point. Can I come in?"

"Sure." he said after a few seconds of hesitation. Vanitas walked into the room and sat on a nearby chair. Terra plopped himself on his bed. "So, what brings you to my room?"

"I wanted to ask your opinion about something." Vanitas replied.

"Well, shoot." Terra said.

"Alright," Vanitas began, "Theoretical question: Say you met someone, someone very nice, and you had to do something nice for them. How would you go about it?"

"Huh." Terra said to himself, not expecting that exact question. "Well, I would just give them a gift, nothing fancy, just something to show I appreciate them."

"But what if they don't care to much for gifts?" Vanitas asked in response. "What if they're the type of girl who just likes to be kind?"

"So this is a girl we're talking about." Terra said, a bit stunned at the revelation.

"_Shit_." Vanitas mentally swore. He wasn't supposed to let that detail slip. It seemed Terra wasn't as thick as he thought. Well, there was no sense in denying it. He might as well come clean. "It was a girl I met in Radiant Garden. It's her birthday today, and I want to do something nice for her."

Now this was stunning. Terra never thought Vanitas would want to do something nice for _anyone_, much less a girl. Part of him wondered if this really was Vanitas he was talking to. "You like her?" he asked.

"Not in the way you're thinking."

"She's a friend?"

"I would say more like acquaintance." Vanitas replied. He wasn't ready to use foreign terms such as friend.

"Oh." Terra said. "Well, just go with my suggestion. Give them a gift. Now, the most important rule is to make sure it comes from your heart. What better way to impress this person than to show them that you can be as kind as them?"

"From my heart." Vanitas repeated, shaking his head. "Terra, you are asking the impossible of me."

The statement actually got a laugh from both boys. Terra always found Vanitas' sense of humor to be a bit... warped, to put it mildly. Vanitas' jokes almost always involved people getting hurt. It was actually refreshing to hear him joke about something other than people's pain.

"Well, I wouldn't say impossible." Terra said.

"Why's that?"

"You've been nice to us. Well, I wouldn't say _nice_. I mean, you can be an asshole at times, but you've gotten better about it."

"Hmm." Vanitas mumbled. Though a part of his mind viciously wanted to deny that. Even he had to admit that this is the most civil he's been. "Well, thanks for the talk Terra." Vanitas said as he walked out of the door.

"Sure." Terra replied. "_I guess Ven's therapy is working_." he thought as he got back to exercising.

* * *

><p><strong>Well, another chapter done. So we know Vanitas' plan for the wayfinders, but who's he going to give them to? Of course I'm not going to tell you. But I will give you two hints:<strong>

**1. It's not an OC.**

**2. It's not Kairi.**

**So who is it? You'll have to read on to find out. Next chapter will be up soon.**


	3. Chapter 3: A Boy and His Mouse

**Here's the third chapter. Please read, review and enjoy.**

Mickey was outside, using Yen Sid's hat to practice his musical magic. He loved doing this every time he came here, using his magic to counduct a beautiful symphony with nature. Not only was it perfect stress relief, but wearing that hat made him feel as powerful as Master Yen Sid. Like Aqua, Mickey had passed his Mark of Mastery, thus earning the title of Master. Once he was finished with his little orchestra, Mickey was startled by the sound of clapping. The young mouse turned his head to find Vanitas standing right behind him. "Nice little performance." the boy said cooly.

"Hey, Vanitas. Glad ya liked it." Though Mickey was still mad at Vanitas for all the things he'd done in the past, like Ven, he had a forgiving personality and believed there was good in everyone. Thus, he decided to be polite.

"Yeah." Vanitas said, trailing off. "Say, you're not busy are you?"

"Not right now. Why?"

"Okay, I'm planning a party for someone in Radiant Garden and I need ice cream, but they're all out. Where's the best place I can go for ice cream?"

"That's simple." Mickey happily replied. "For ice cream, ya go to the source: Donald's uncle, Scrooge McDuck."

"And where does he live?" Vanitas asked.

"The same place I do: Disney Town." Mickey said.

"Of course. Why didn't I see that coming?" Vanitas muttered. Disney Town was his least favorite world. "So, can we go?"

"Sure." Mickey then reached into his pocket and pulled out a strange block. He then threw it on the ground and it instantly expanded into a large, orange rocket ship. This was Mickey's gummi ship. Since he couldn't transform his Keyblade into a glider and he had lost his Star Shard, this served as the mouse king's method of transportation. It was slow, but reliable.

"Cool ship." Vanitas said, moderately impressed. "Hope it has fuel."

"Don't ya worry. This baby can go running for years." Mickey said as he hopped in the cockpit with Vanitas following suit. After a two hour flight. The duo finally reached their destination: Disney Town. Words couldn't describe Vanitas' hatred of this world. It looked like it was on the wrong end of a color factory when it exploded, and the bright colors made him want to vomit. Also, it was like a freakish petting zoo. Talking animals of all kind inhabited this place.

Mickey hopped off the Gummi Ship as it landed. But as Vanitas landed, he was knocked to the ground by a yellow dog with a green collar who began to lick him feverishly. This was Pluto, Mickey's beloved pet dog. "G-Get off! S-Stop! H-Heel, heel, you slobbering mutt! Heel!" Vanitas shouted, attempting to shove Pluto off, to no avail. The scene got a laugh from Mickey.

Vanitas, however, was anything but amused. "C-C-Call him off!" he demanded. Mickey giggled a bit, then whistled to Pluto. The hound jumped off Vanitas and ran to Mickey, licking his face a bit. Petting Pluto on his head, he turned to Vanitas. "Oh, don't mind Pluto. That's his way of sayin' hello."

"Whatever." Vanitas spat as he got to his feet. It was a few seconds and already this was starting to be a bad idea.

"Hello, Your Majesty!" Two voices greeted in unison. Vanitas and Mickey turned to see a dog dressed as a knight and a duck in a wizard's outfit walking towards them. This was Goofy, captain of the guard, and Donald, the Royal Wizard. Mickey's loyal servants and his closest friends. "Hey guys." Mickey greeted.

"Who's this fella?" Goofy asked, staring at Vanitas.

"Oh, this is Vanitas." Mickey said.

"Pleased to meetcha, Vanitas." Goofy said as he warmly and vehemently shook Vanitas by the hand. "My name's Goofy."

"Hey." Vanitas said. He wasn't used to people being so friendly towards him.

"My name's Donald. Nice to meet you." Donald said as he outstretched his hand. Making a concious effort to be polite, Vanitas slowly extended his own hand and grabbed Donald's. "Likewise." Vanitas replied.

"So what brings ya here, Your Majesty?" Goofy inquired.

"Vanitas needs ice cream for a party so we're looking for Donald's uncle." Mickey said.

"Well you came to the right place!" Donald explained. "Uncle Scrooge's shop is this way." The four of them then walked all the way to Uncle Scrooge's Ice Cream Parlor. There they were greeted by an elderly duck wearing a black top hat with a red band around it, pincenez glasses, and a blue jacket with a folded-down, red collar, red cuffs, and a yellow button near the neck. The jacket was kept shut with a red belt, and he wore red spats on his feet. He also carried a brown cane with a gold tip on the end. This was Scrooge McDuck, one of the wealthiest residents in Disney town.

"Hello, Nephew." Scrooge greeted as he embraced Donald.

"Hey, Uncle Scrooge." Donald said as he returned the hug.

"Hiya, Scrooge." Mickey greeted.

"Ah, Your Majesty!" Scrooge shouted as he took off his hat and gave a low bow. "To what do I owe the honor of having you grace my humble parlor?"

"My friend here needs ice cream for a party, so we came to the ice cream king." Mickey replied.

"Oh, you're too kind, King Mickey." Scrooge said. He then turned to Vanitas and handed him a menu. "Pick out your favorite." he said.

Vanitas took the menu and browsed through it. It had fifteen different flavors too choose from. They were:

Bueno Volcano  
>Snow Bear<br>Spark Lemon  
>Royalberry<br>Milky Way  
>Vanilla Glitz<br>Rockin' Crunch  
>Big Bad Pete<br>Honeybunny  
>Goofy Parfait<br>Double Crunch  
>Fabracadabra<br>Donald Fizz  
>Daisy Sorbet<br>Sea-Salt Ice Cream

After perusing the menu for a few moments Vanitas looked at Scrooge and said. "We'll just take one of each flavor."

"Oh, well that'll cost ya laddie." Scrooge replied. "But since you're a friend of the king, I'll make ya a deal."

"There's always a catch." Vanitas said. "Alright, what do you want?"

"Simple." Scrooge replied. "If you can get the high score on the Ice Cream Beat game and beat my grand nephews in a game of Fruitball, I'll consider it paid for. Deal?"

"Deal." Vanitas said. And thus Vanitas began to hold up his end of the bargain. The Ice Cream Beat game was a bit difficult due to Vanitas being a first timer, but eventually he managed to get the highest score of anyone, 10,000 points! The fruitball game was much easier due to Vanitas' natural agility and athletic ability. The cheers from the crowd boosted his confidence and his ego a bit. In the end, he upheld his end of the bargain and walked away with his free fifteen flavors of ice cream.

"Thanks for the help, Scrooge!" Mickey shouted as he loaded the last of the ice cream onto the ship.

"Anytime, Your Majesty. Anytime." Scrooge replied.

"Thanks for the help." Vanitas began. "I _appreciate_ it." the word appreciate came out slowly, having never been used before.

"Sure, laddie, sure. Come back any time."

* * *

><p>"You can drop me off at Radiant Garden." Vanitas said as he and Mickey rode in the gummi ship.<p>

"Sure thing." Mickey replied. "By the way, you looked like you really had fun."

Vanitas hesitated a bit before saying. "It was... interesting." Though he would rather die than admit it, he knew Mickey was right. Some part of him _did_ have fun on the games.

"Do you need some help?" Mickey asked.

"Just help me unload the ice cream and i'll take care of the rest." Vanitas said.

"Okay." Mickey said.

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><p><strong>Another chapter down. Reviews and constructive criticism are welcomed.<strong>


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting of the Minds

**Here's the next chapter. Please read, review, and enjoy.**

**A/N: Very special guests will make an appearance in this chapter.**

"Okay, let's see here..." Vanitas began as he looked over his list. After having Mickey drop him and the ice cream off at Radiant Garden, Vanitas began to set up the party. Now he was going over everything to make sure all was prepared for tonight. "Food: check. Balloons: check. Gifts: check. Music: ch- wait. Oh, shit! I forgot the music!" he exclaimed. Vanitas was in a dilemma. The girl loved music, but Vanitas couldn't play music to save his life. He could summon his Symphony Master Unversed, but Master Eraqus forbade him from doing so. The party would never be complete without some dance music. But then Vanitas' face lit up as he got an idea. The city had a new DJ place, and he was known to do parties. With this fact in mind, Vanitas walked to the place.

When he walked inside, he rang the bell on the counter. He was then greeted by three kids around his age. One was a slender boy around Vanitas' height. He had spiky orange hair in a unique hairstyle and blue eyes. He also wore indigo headphones on. He wore a sleeveless shirt with a funnel-shaped collar, and an indigo stripe outlined with gold going down the middle. He also wore a sweatband on his left arm, and white shorts held up by a loose fitting belt. He had black shoes with an indigo stripe outlined in gold, similar to the color and style of his shirt.

Another boy was slightly more muscular than the orange-haired one, and had brown eyes and short blond hair covered with a black cap adorned with a large skull. He wore a large black chain with a skull around his neck and wore a white, sleeveless shirt. Around his left arm he wore a black wristband. He also wore khaki shorts with a chain hanging from them and black and orange shoes.

And lastly, there was a little girl (Though it was hard to tell with the attire she had on) who was a bit shorter than the other two. She had blue eyes and short blond hair like the other boy, and she too wore a hat with a skull on it. A small bell was worn around her neck. She was dressed in a large, orange long-sleeved shirt with a heart-shaped skull and crossbones decorating it. She wore white shorts and black and yellow shoes.

"Hey there." The orange-haired boy greeted. "Welcome to the Soundwave Shack. The place where we bring the beat. I'm Neku Sakuraba, the owner. These are my friends Beat and his sister Rhyme."

"What's happenin' man?" Beat said.

"Hey, there." his sister Rhyme greeted.

"Hey. Name's Vanitas." Vanitas said. "So, you're pretty good DJs huh?"

"The best in Radiant Garden." Neku proclaimed.

"We bring the beat wherever we go, Yo!" Beat exclaimed.

"With us playing the music, the party never stops!" Rhyme added happily.

"Good." Vanitas said. "Okay, I'm hosting a birthday party for someone tonight, and I need some music to help liven it up. I know it's gonna cost me and I'm prepared to pay for it. So, can you guys get ready for tonight?"

"Sure thing." Neku said. "Oh, and don't worry about munny. Since you're the first customer in a while, you get it free."

"Thanks." Vanitas said as he left. Everything was falling in place.

* * *

><p>After finishing his excercises, Terra went downstairs to the kitchen for lunch. There, he met Ven and Aqua sitting at the table. "Hey guys." he greeted.<p>

"Hey Terra." Aqua replied. "We've been waiting for you."

"For what?" Terra asked as he sat down.

"Have you noticed anything... _weird _about Vanitas?" Ven asked. "Anything out of the ordinary about him?"

"If by weird you're referring to his sudden 360 shift in personality, then yeah." Terra said.

"I guess I'm not the only one." A voice rang out. The trio turned to see Mickey enter the room and sit down.

"You too?" Aqua asked.

"So what's you're story?" Mickey asked turning to Terra.

"He came into my room asking me advice on how to impress a girl." Terra said, still remembering the strange conversation. He then turned to Ven. "What about you?"

"He called me Ven. He _never_ calls me Ven." Ven said.

"If ya think that's weird," Mickey began, "He and I went to Disney town to ask Scrooge McDuck for some ice cream for a party he was planning."

"Are you _serious_?" Aqua asked.

"Yup. He even played some of the games." Mickey added. "He was really good. He acted polite around everyone."

"Vanitas? polite? Are we talking about the same person?" Terra asked, dumbfounded.

"Yeah, I thought he said he wouldn't be caught dead in Disney Town." Ven said.

"If you guys think that's weird, then here's a _real_ shocker: He asked me how to make a wayfinder." Aqua said.

"He _WHAT_?" the three boys shouted in unison, complete disbelief heard in their voices.

"C'mon, Aqua. You're screwing with us." Terra said.

"This is a joke right? _right_?" Ven asked.

"If it is, then I'm still waiting for the punchline." Aqua said. "Ven, what have you been _doing_ to him?"

"Being friendly?" Ven replied. "I think a lot of the reason why he was so violent was because that was all he knew. So I'm trying to show him that there's more to life than fighting."

"Well, whatever you're doing, I think it's working." Terra said.

"That's just it though. I don't think it's me."

"Well, whatever it is, I say we should follow him." Aqua said. "As nice as it was to have a decent conversation with him. I'm not ready to trust him yet."

"Me too. But there's a problem: Vanitas can feel everything I can feel so he'll know if I'm following him." Ven said.

"I'd love to help, but I promised Zack I'd train with him in the Collesium." Terra added.

"I'm willin' to help too, but I promised Minnie I'd treat her to a movie." Mickey said.

"Well, I'll go by myself. I've dealt with him before and I'll deal with him again if I have to." Aqua said.

"Just be careful, Aqua." Ven requested.

"Don't worry, I will."

* * *

><p><strong>Last chapter will be up soon, so stay tuned.<strong>

**A/N: In case anyone asks. I've never played The World Ends With You, so if any of the characters sounded OOC, sorry.**


	5. Chapter 5: Let's Party!

**Forgive the long hiatus. I've been meaning to update this, but never got around to it. Anyway, this is it. We finally see the identity of Vanitas' mystery friend. Please read, review, and enjoy.**

As Aqua flew towards Radiant Garden on her Keyblade Glider, her mind was still reeling from the conversation she had with the boys about Vanitas. First, he asks her to help him make a wayfinder of all things. Then, she hears about him asking Terra about girl advice and him going to a world that he outright hates. She couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt about spying on him. After all, he _did_ have a right to his privacy and it was, strangely, fun to make a wayfinder with him as well as refreshing to see another side to the stone cold sociopath she was accustomed to dealing with.

But that's when the flood of "What If" questions began to assail her mind. "_What if he was faking?_" "_What if he causes trouble?_" "_What if he goes back to his old ways?_" It was these and other questions that fueled Aqua's resolve to make sure Vanitas doesn't cause any other problems. As polite as he acted towards her, she wasn't quite ready to accept this as a sign that he's turned over a new leaf.

Aqua finally made it to Radiant Garden. She couldn't help but notice that the capital of light looked less radiant at night. As she was musng on this however, she began to hear loud dance music and noticed lights coming from the city park. She followed the lights to find that there was a party, and that's when she saw Vanitas. For the most part, he looked... genuinely happy. It didn't seem like he was causing any trouble. Luckily for her, it didn't look like he saw her as Vanitas was busy talking to a girl about his age.

The girl had black, shoulder-length hair and violet eyes. She wore a black headband with white lining around her head. She wore an unzipped, dark grey combat vest with a black strap dangling from the right pocket overtop a navy blue tank top with white floral designs. She also wore a white wristband on her right wrist and a grey, fingerless glove on her left arm. Her shorts were slightly darker and had another black strap dangling from the left side. She also wore black, knee-high socks with white stripes at the top underneath dark tan boots that are slightly shorter than her socks. Aqua recognized the girl as Yuffie. Aqua had met Yuffie during a visit in Radiant Garden. Since then, they became fast friends.

Another girl at the party had green eyes and long, brown hair styled into a braid down her back with curls on either side of her face. It was held together by a red ribbon. She wore a carmine pink and white top held up by a string that wraps around her neck. Underneath this top, she wore a pink dress with a horizontal white stripe near the bottom. She wore yet another dress underneath the first one, this dress being white and slightly longer than the first. She also wore brown boots. This was Aerith, one of Yuffie's friends. Yuffie had introduced Aqua to Aerith one time when they went on a girl's day off.

Finally, there was a man that Aqua didn't recognize. The man had brown, shoulder-length hair and blue eyes. His most notable feature was the scar that ran diagonally across the bridge of his nose. He wore a black, fur covered, short-sleeved jacket with a white undershirt, a silver Griever necklace, and black gloves with belts on them. He also wore three brown belts around his left forearm and three buckles on his right and left thigh. He also had two brown belts and two black ones around his hips, all of which were quite loose except for one, a black one worn properly around his waist. Lastly, he wore black, zipper-lined shoes.

Just as Aqua was musing over what she had seen so far, she was interuptted by an elderly voice from behind. "Why hello there, young lady. It's nice to see you again." the voice said. Aqua turned around to see a small, elderly woman behind her. The woman had blue eyes and thick, grey hair tied into a bun. She wore a sleeveless, purple dress with a white apron that had laces at the bottom over it. She also wore a dark cloth tied around her neck, and a white ring on her left ring finger. This was Kairi's Grandma. Aqua had met her once in Radiant Garden when she had rescued Kairi from the Unversed.

"Hello, it's good to see you too." Aqua replied back. "How's Kairi doing?"

"She's doing great." she answered. "I see you're here for the party too."

"Party?" Aqua asked, a puzzled look across her features.

"Why, it's Yuffie birthday today." the old woman replied.

"Oh no! I completely forgot." Aqua exclaimed. With all the training this week, she had completely overlooked her friend's birthday.

"Well, apparently your friend in the black suit remembered." Kairi's Grandma said, looking at Vanitas. "After all, he helped plan the party."

"He _did_?" Aqua asked. The surprise easily heard in her voice. Mickey had told them that he was planning a party, but she didn't realize how involved he was in it.

"Why yes." she replied. "He brought the music, food, and everything."

"Wow..." Aqua said, trailing off. "Never thought he'd do something like this."

"Well my dear, sometimes people are more than they appear." the old woman said. "But don't be a stranger; why don't you come on and join the party? I'm sure they would love to have you."

"Well, okay." Aqua replied. She then walked towards the table where Vanitas and Yuffie were talking. "Hey Aqua!" Yuffie exclaimed as she hopped out of her seat to embrace the Keyblade master. Vanitas didn't respond, but made a face that displayed his displeasure. He didn't want Aqua or any of the others to be here, but he decided not to make a scene for Yuffie's sake.

"Hey, Yuffie." Aqua replied as she returned the hug. "Happy birthday. I'm sorry I didn't get you a present."

"That's okay." the young ninja replied. "I'm just happy you're here. Vanitas planned this whole surprise party for me. Can you believe it?"

"Yes, I've heard." Aqua said.

"It's great to see you Aqua." Aerith's voice came from behind.

"Hey there, Aerith." Aqua said.

"A new friend of yours, Yuffie?" the brown haired man asked.

"Yes," Aqua answered. "And you are?"

"My name's Squall, but you can call me Leon."

"So, are you going to stay?" Yuffie asked.

"Well, I've got some time to kill, so okay."

"Great!" Yuffie exclaimed. "Let the party begin!" And so the gang spent the next six hours partying it up. The DJ was in rare form, the food was great, and a fun time was had by all. Vanitas even danced with Yuffie. Aqua never knew Vanitas could dance. But like all good things, the party came to an inevitable close. Everyone cleaned up and left, except for Vanitas, Aqua, and Yuffie. "That was a great party, Vanitas." Yuffie said.

"Yeah." Vanitas replied. "Before you go, I want to give you this." Vanitas reached into his pocket and pulled out the green wayfinder he made with Aqua.

"Vanitas, it's beautiful!" Yuffie gasped as she put the charm around her neck.

"I made one for both of us." Vanitas said as he pulled out the red wayfinder. "So no matter how far apart we are, we'll always... find our way to each other."

"For a supposedly anti-social guy, that must have been very hard to say." Yuffie said with a smile."

"You have no fucking idea." Vanitas replied. Yuffie then embraced the raven-haired boy, giving him a long kiss. "Thank you." she said as she released him and walked away.

Vanitas didn't respond, but lightly pressed his fingers on his lips, blushing for the first time in his life. "_I just kissed a girl. I just kissed a girl!_" Vanitas thought to himself. "_Well I hope you're happy, Ventus. You've tainted me you son of a bitch! I just hoped no one saw that_." Vanitas then turned around to find a shocked Aqua behind her. A virtual thunderstorm of swear words formed in the boy's head. "So I guess you saw that." Vanitas said, keeping his voice calm.

Shocked didn't even come close to describing how Aqua felt right now. In fact, to say she was shocked would have been a grand understatement. She just saw Vanitas kiss a girl. Well, technically, Yuffie kissed _him _but just the thought that Vanitas would kiss anyone was a enough for Aqua to simply stare at the boy, her mouth agape. Once she finally overcame her inital shock, she said, "Who are you and what have you done with Vanitas?"

"Funny," Vanitas replied, "I'm trying to figure that out myself. And before you say anything, yes, that was the hypocritical statement coming from me."

"Yes, it was." Aqua said. "But I've got another question: Why didn't you tell us about it?"

Vanitas lowered his head for a few moments before he mumbled the words, "I got pride."

"That's not a reason. We wouldn't have teased you about it." Aqua said, seeing right through Vanitas lie.

"I didn't think you guys'd trust me, okay?" Vanitas snapped. "I mean you probably followed me here to make sure I don't cause trouble."

"Okay, you're right." Aqua admitted. "But it's not like your attitude helps your case."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Vanitas snapped, his temper rising a bit.

"Even I'll admit that you've mellowed down a lot since you started living with us." Aqua began. "But you're not exactly the best company. I mean, you can't go a single conversation without hurling insults. I might be willing to trust you a little more if you stopped trying to act tough all the time."

Vanitas growled a bit, but didn't say anything because part of him knew that Aqua was right, though he'd never admit it. "Hey, you won't tell anyone about me and Yuffie will you?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone... Romeo." Aqua said, trying to lighten the mood a bit. As the two began to walk together she asked, "So, can I start calling you _Van_ now?"

"Don't even think about it." Vanitas grumbled.

And so, Aqua learned one of life's time honored lessons: Never judge a book by its cover, for what's underneath is sometimes more than what's on the surface.

* * *

><p><strong>So ends my little tale. I hope you've enjoyed it. Ciao!<strong>


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